encompass
verb
en·com·pass
in-ˈkəm-pəs 
en-
also -ˈkäm-
encompassed; encompassing; encompasses
1
: to include as a part of a whole or group
a plan that encompasses a number of aims
The ranch encompasses more than 2,500 acres of prime forest …—
Stuart D. Strahl
Stuart D. StrahlThat success soon mushroomed into an empire encompassing toys, games, animations and all manner of consumer gewgaws.—Charlie Campbell
Charlie Campbell2
3
dated
: bring about, accomplish
… Jiu Jitsu, the … art of making an opponent use his strength to encompass his own defeat.—TIME
TIMEExamples of encompass in a Sentence
The district encompasses most of the downtown area.
a neighborhood encompassed by a highway
Recent Examples on the Web
Mammoth Cave National Park encompasses more than 52,000 acres of south central Kentucky and is essentially two parks in one.
—Dave Parfitt, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Wilson is zoned for the 9th District, which extends across most of the state’s southern border before curving up to encompass the largely white and affluent Nashville suburbs.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
In addition to the District 1 race, Supervisor Susan Ellenberg will be running uncontested to keep her seat in District 4 – a region that encompasses West San Jose, Campbell and Santa Clara.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
But in 2025, Prime Day doubled in length, encompassing four days.
—Ryley Amond, CNBC, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encompass
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Dave Parfitt, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Wilson is zoned for the 9th District, which extends across most of the state’s southern border before curving up to encompass the largely white and affluent Nashville suburbs.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
In addition to the District 1 race, Supervisor Susan Ellenberg will be running uncontested to keep her seat in District 4 – a region that encompasses West San Jose, Campbell and Santa Clara.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
But in 2025, Prime Day doubled in length, encompassing four days.
—Ryley Amond, CNBC, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for encompass
Cite this Entry
“Encompass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encompass. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
encompass
verb
en·com·pass
in-ˈkəm-pəs
-ˈkäm-
1
: to form a circle about : surround
2
a
: to cover or surround especially so as to hide or protect
b
: to take in as a part : include
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